Basin nuts used to secure kitchen and vanity faucets, kitchen spray hoses, toilet ballcocks and the like usually are located in confined areas that are difficult to engage with a wrench. Many plastic nuts have wings or flanges to facilitate turning of the nuts by hand. In many cases, however, it still is necessary to use a wrench with such nuts to ensure tightness and also to loosen nuts which may have become “frozen” in place either through over-tightening or as a result of dissolved salts or minerals in the water. For example, the space under sinks is very limited due to an enclosed area having a plurality of supply lines, a drain assembly and other such obstacles thus making simple operations like disconnecting a supply line difficult with wrenches that are positioned to extend perpendicular to the fitting. Removing an old faucet and installing a new one is typically very difficult without a basin wrench (also referred to as a faucet wrench). A basin wrench is a plumbing tool for removing and installing sink faucets and is often used in such instances. A basin wrench generally has a long handle that is directed upward from under a sink to turn nuts on fittings and faucets. A basin wrench is normally used to loosen or tighten locknuts for supply hoses attached to compression fittings.
In order to remove/install a faucet on a working sink it is necessary to loosen/tighten nuts that are located underneath and behind the sink bowl. Not only is it necessary to twist one's body into a small space, an operator must typically lay on his or her back and limited working space exists around these locking nuts. Moreover, when working in such difficult to access positions, such as under sinks, it is usually dark and difficult to see. Thus, users are forced to provide some sort of lighting to enable them to see what they are doing. This is often accomplished by balancing a flashlight under the sink so that the light is focused on the desired location. However, such undertaking is cumbersome and many times results in the flashlight falling over. Also, it requires the user to carry a flashlight, in addition to all of the other tools, to the work location.
Although basin wrenches are known in the art, most include one or more metal members as a handle and can be difficult to grasp particularly if water, oils, or other contaminants are deposited thereon. In addition, if an auxiliary cross handle is provided such as for facilitating rotation of the wrench, the outwardly extending cross handle renders the wrench difficult to store in a tool box or other small space.
Although a variety of basin and faucet wrenches are known in the art, a need remains for a basin wrench that further promotes ease and convenience of use, facilitates engagement and gripping of fittings or other components, is relatively compact when not in use, and which ergonomically combines multiple features in a single device which can be economically manufactured.